In various types of machinery including textile machines of various types the shafts are divided into sections and couplings are provided to join the shaft sections each to the other. Bearings are provided to support the shafts at suitable intervals. Frequently the shafts may become distorted or worn or the bearings require replacement. Disassembling the couplings and the shafts has usually necessitated removing the shafts or shaft sections horizontally thereby requiring the removal in the entire assembly of a series of shafts which have been positioned and aligned satisfactorily resulting in increased downtime and increased maintenance costs.
In certain applications, a series of interconnected or coupled shafts have been aligned after considerable effort and suitably coupled. Should one of the shaft sections require maintenance, even after a relatively short period of time due to some failure, the entire shaft with its various sections or components must be removed and the couplings disconnected in order to remove the shaft section that requires replacement. One section normally may not be removed without disturbing the alignment and positioning of adjacent shaft sections. Alignment must be performed again after replacement of the defective shaft section.
Therefore, it is contemplated by the utilization of the present shaft coupling that individual shaft sections may readily be replaced while maintaining the remainder of the shaft sections in place and in alignment without disturbance while the shaft section that is defective for any reason may be replaced.
A further objective of this improved shaft coupling is the provision of a series of removable collars which support and interlock with adjacent shaft collars that may be readily removed to permit the transverse displacement of the shaft section to be removed without disturbing the adjacent shaft sections.
Yet a further objective of this improved shaft coupling is the provision of a coupling in which a minimum number of components may be utilized that are interchangeable and which are suitable for transmitting the requisite rotational forces from one shaft section to the other while maintaining the original alignmentof the shaft sections adjacent to the shaft section that is to be replaced which will facilitate the alignment and installation of the shaft section to be replaced.
Other objectives and many of the attendant advantages of this improved shaft coupling will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the machine art from the accompanying drawing and detailed description and there is no intention to limit the claims to the specific embodiment disclosed.